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DIY UQ - Which mummy bag from REI?

Here's the deal - I have no funds to make gear right now except some store credit at REI, but I need some sort of insulation for my hammock. My options are 1)exped air pad, or 2)modify a mummy bag into an underquilt. (I just spent my last $$ for a while on materials for a tarp).

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 4:5-6

I'm sort of in the same situation as you, but I have a 0* mummy bag and a 30* regular sleeping bag. I figured that the mummy bag would be harder to make into an underquilt, so i bunched the ends of the 30* bag and bound them tight with utility cord, then attached it to my suspension via prusiks attached to loops connected to the bound cord, and that served as a fairly decent UQ. I slept in the mummy bag so I could have the hood part over me, and I stayed warm enough in low 30s/high 20s that I wound up just needing a thin base layer of clothing on. At one point, the makeshift UQ slipped from under me, but to be honest, I didn't even notice until the zipper on my mummy bag broke open, and I started feeling a draft. The only downside I can really think of is that neither bag packs down very small at all, since they are both synthetic.

EDIT - Lamph, just saw your post. I like that idea, but I am trying to make it as light as possible for backpacking...thus, a mod would be in order.

Last edited by FightingTheTide; 11-30-2012 at 09:28.

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 4:5-6

Yeah, I was just camping out at my parents' over Thanksgiving, so I wasn't going very far. Neither packs down small enough to fit into a pack, and the two together definitely don't, so if you are planning on hiking out with a pack you would need something much more compressible.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend the mummy bag used as a top quilt/sleeping bag on the inside. It was my first time sleeping outside in the cold weather since my tent days way back when, and it was one of the best nights sleep I have had in years.

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 4:5-6

I'd use a pad instead of cutting up a perfectly good bag. I borrowed a thermarest and sweated my butt off in the hammock at around 45*. I wish it would have been colder! I slept with the back open to my waist most of the night, with my light fleece liner over me. A pad will run around $100... Much cheaper than a bag.
An underquilt is awesome though. I made my own from raw materials using the KAQ instructions and it feels so much better than a pad. More natural and breathable than the sweaty pad.

Any suggestion on whether to get an Exped UL 7 or the regular 7? Wasn't sure if the lighter weight compromised durability and if the UL was noisy.

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 4:5-6